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(No Model.) 2 She.ets Sheet 1. W. H. JACKSON.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

No. 593,665. Patented Nov. 16,1897.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheetfi.

.W. H. JACKSON.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

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NITED Srnrns 1 PATENT FFICE.

AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF TWO-THIRDS TO JOHN T. FIGG, FRANK M. BRANTHOOVER, AND WILLIS F. MARTIN, OF SAME PLACE.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,665, dated November 16, 1897.

' Application filed April 20, 1897- Serial Ila 633,060. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. J AOKSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Switches, and I do declare the following to be a full,

. clear, and exact description of the invention,-

such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain devices to be used in connection with railway-tracks at the ends of sidings or turnouts; and it consists of a novel combination and arrangement of rails and frogs forming a switch by which railway-cars are prevented from being derailed should a switch be set for a wrong track, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The object of my invention is to provide a switch that shall be safe and reliable at all times and when thrown from the main line to the siding will automatically return to its normal position after the train has passed by means of the wheels on thelast truck pressgo ing upon a lever on the side of the turnoutrail.

A further object is to provide an automatic signal attached to the switch mechanism which will designate the position of the 3 5 switch.

With these objects in view my invention is, furthermore, durable and economical in use and may be cheaply constructed and easily operated. By its use much damage to 0 rolling-stock may be prevented and many lives saved. I I

Referring to the drawings, Figure l represents a plan view of my device in connection with a section of railway-track. Fig. 2 is a 5 side elevation with the switch lever and Weights removed. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on line X X of Fig. 1. Fig. 4c is a transverse sectional view on line Y Y of Fig.

1.. Fig. 5 is a part transverse sectional view on line W W. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the switch-lock. Fig. 7 isalongitudinal sectional view ofFig. 6, and Fig. 8 is a plan view of the same.

In the drawings, E and E designate the rails forming the main track; F, the turnout or'siding; A, the switch-table; D and I, the switch-rails,preferably integral with the table A I, the pivoted spliced rail; H, the crossties; K, the head-block; L, the guide-block; O, the guide, and M is the lever to throw the switch automatically to the main line.

In constructing my device I make the table A of metal, and in some cases instead of making it of sufficient weight in one piece to stand the strain upon it I build it up of a number of pieces of metal combined with timber frames. It is connected at one end to the head-block K, supporting it by means of a heavy pivotal bolt a, located centrally between the main rails, the ends of the latter resting upon the head-block K and spiked thereto. The tracks D D and I are preferably made integral with the table A, and the spliced rail I is pivoted to said-table at t and is held against the track D by means of the with the foot on and hinged to the upper piece by means of the hinge n.

P is a spiral spring to engage the foot m in the slit r.

S is a crank-lever pivoted to the under side of the table A, with one of the arms of the crank resting on the hinged plate 0 and the opposite arm attached to the lever 3, which is secured to the small crank 4, pivoted to the lower endof the operating-lever T.

5 is a rod connecting the crank 4 to the hand-lever (3, which is pivoted to the operating-lever T near the top.

81 represents a spring-hook.

7 is a rod connected to said operating-lever at its lower end, and the opposite end of said rod is connected to the table A at S.

B is the horizontal crank-shaft and is provided with four cranks. Said crank-shaft is journaled to the brackets 29, which are secured to the sills XV.

21 is a rod connecting the crank-lever 18 to one of the cranks on shaft B. Said cranklever is pivoted at 20.

16 is a weight and is connected to the cranklever by means of the link 17.

Q is the rod connecting the crank-shaft to the switch-lock N by means of the T head or arm 2 integral therewith.

The weight 16 is heavier than the switchtable and is intended to throw the switch back to the main line after the train has passed on the siding. This weight rests on the solid foundation 32 and travels upward. The lever M is pivoted to the rail F at its end farthest away from the switch. The end of said lever nearest the switch is tapered downward to a point level with the top of the rail in order that the wheels of the train may pass freely over said lever. Attached to this lever underneath near the end next to the switch is the rod 30, with the opposite end having the slot 31 engaging with the crankshaft B. Said rod 30 passes through the yoke 33, which is embedded in the cross-tie H.

27 is a vertical shaft supporting the day and night signals, consisting of suitable flags or markers by day and a lamp by night to designate the position of the switch, and is operated automatically by means of the arm 26 and the rod 25, connected to the crankshaft B and pivoted to the arm 26 at 28.

In Fig. 1 the switch-table is set in position for the main line. To throw the switch to the siding, press the hand-lever 6 toward the operating-lever T, which actuates the cranklever S and causes it to press downward on the hinged plate 0 of the lock N, thereby giving said look i free movement horizontally over the rod Q when the table A is thrown in position for the siding. \Vhen this operation is accomplished, the operating-lever T is thrown in the direction of the track until the switch is thrown in position for the siding. Vhile the train is passing from the main line into the siding the wheels press the pivoted lever M downward, which lifts the weight 16 and engages the arm 2 on the lever Q with the lug m on the plate 0 of the lock N, and after the last wheel has passed over the switch and lever M is relieved of the weight of the train the weight 16, which is heavier than the switch-table, now descends and throws the switch automatically to the main line. Should the train be on the side-track and wish to enter the main line, the wheels depress the pivoted lever and throw the switch in position for the siding, and after the train has passed the switch it will automatically return to the main track.

The signal-lamp bracket indicates safety when the switch is set for the main line and automatically indicates danger for the same track when the switch is thrown for the siding. From this description the other operative situations will be apparent.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A railway safety-switch, comprising a pivoted table provided with rigid rails and a pivoted rail, means for holding said pivoted rail in position, a lock underneath said table and secured thereto, an operating-lever provided with means for releasing the lock and throwing said table in position for the sidetrack and means as shown to automatically return the switch to the main line after the train has passed the switch, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

2. A railway safety-switch comprising a pivoted table, provided with a track, an inner rigid rail and a pivoted inner rail mounted 011 said table, said inner rails converging toward a point connecting the rails of a main track, means for pressing said pivoted rail against the outer rail, a spring-lock underneath the pivoted table and secured thereto, a crank-shaft underneath the track and parallel thereto,an operating-lever provided with rods and levers operatively connected to said switch-table and lock to throw said switch from the main line to the side-track, a weight connected to the crank-shaft by means of rods and levers, a pivoted lever attached to the rail of the sidetrack and parallel thereto, and connected to the crank-shaft by means of a vertical rod, said lever when depressed to actuate said shaft and lift the weight to engage said lock, said weight to throw said table to main track after the train has passed over said pivoted lever, and means for operating a signal automatically, substantially as shown and described.

3. A railway safety-switch, comprising in combination a table suitably supported and secured at one end by a pivot-bolt, and its opposite end forming a segment of a circle, the rigid and pivoted rails mounted thereon, said pivoted rail and the inner rigid rails converging toward a point connecting the rails of a main track, and means for pressing said pivoted rail against the outer rail, the springlock underneath said table and rigidly attached thereto, the crank-shaft underneath said table and track, the lever connecting said crank-shaft with said lock,the operatinglever with attachments to release said lock and throw said table to the side-track, the weight and levers connected to said crankshaft, the lever pivoted to the rail of the side- In testimony whereof I affix my signature track and connected to said crank-shaft to in presence of two Witnesses. lift said Weight and engage said look When depressed and means to automatically throw I 5 said table back to the main line after the train Witnesses:

has passed over said pivoted lever, substan- D. D. DEANE, tially as shown and described. 0. V. THURMAN.

WILLIAM H. JACKSON. 

